Following the success of Nintendo’s Virtual Console for the Wii, which allows gamers to download old games from a number of systems, many users are beginning to find that the 512MB internal memory on the Wii just isn’t enough. As a result, some were hoping that Nintendo might launch a hard drive for the console to let owners store and play Virtual Console games using that. However, Eric Walter from Nintendo America has said the following:

The way that we look at it is, we really don't want people storing every single game they buy on their drive. When you buy a game, it's yours forever, so you can delete it, and go back and get it at any time you want. In a way, we liken it to putting music on your iPod; you listen to it for a while, and then you get tired of it, and you pull it off, and you put some new stuff on.

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So it looks like when you run out of space you’ll either need to backup your games onto SD cards and copy them onto the Wii when you want to play them, or you’ll have to visit the Wii store to download them again.

i see the point, theres no need to keep cramming the 512mb that comes with it. i agree with nintendo, if you want new stuff then delete the old, once you download a Nintendo games on the online shop then its their for you for FREE whenever you wanted it, gives a chance to try more than Donkey Kong and Sonic!

The way that we look at it is, we really don't want people storing every single game they buy on their drive. When you buy a game, it's yours forever, so you can delete it, and go back and get it at any time you want. In a way, we liken it to putting music on your iPod; you listen to it for a while, and then you get tired of it, and you pull it off, and you put some new stuff on.

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Why though?

Sites can go down or when you bring your Wii over to a friend's, they might not have Wi-Fi.

I wish it could read VC games off an SD card, just buy a 4GB and be done with it

Naw, this is Nintendo being lazy. With today's flash prices, the added price of going to a gig or even 2 gigs isn't significant. Since there's those new 16gb chips, they really don't have much excuse. But from a business standpoint, keeping it the same for all consoles and not having Wii v2 or whatnot makes a lot of sense.

I wouldnt think a HDD would be viable and worth it for Nintendo. SD cards are so dirt cheap and even the high capacity ones, that it just makes sense to use that. Besides, pull it off the SD card to a folder on the pc. Retrieve when you want it.